Here's the actual AAIB report:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59c8f175e5274a49c07f4704/AAIB_S3-2017_G-GSGS.pdf
On 29/09/2017 7:02 AM, Future Aviation Pty. Ltd. wrote:
Good morning all
This was sent to me over night by a German friend of mine.
As you can see, no mention was made of the type of battery used here.
From my visits to the AERO trade fair I know that some manufacturers use LiPo
Batteries.
They have the best power to weight ratio but they are known to be extremely
dangerous.
I will attempt to find out if this type of battery was installed in this glider.
Kind regards to all
Bernard
From UK, newspaper report:
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has made a safety recommendation after a
sailplane burst into flames shortly after landing in Parham Airfield. On August
10, 2017, the glider sailplane set off from the airfield between Storrington
and Pulborough at 10.21am for a flight lasting approximately two hours. The
glider was flown normally to a smooth touchdown, according to the AAIB, until
the pilot heard an ‘unexpected noise’. The AAIB report said: “As the glider
slowed during the ground run, the pilot smelled burning and the cockpit filled
with smoke that was moving forwards from behind the pilot’s head. “He vacated
the cockpit normally, without injury, and observed that the Front Electric
Sustainer (FES) battery compartment cover was missing and that smoke, followed
shortly by flames, was coming from the battery compartment. “The airfield fire
truck arrived promptly and an initial attempt was made to extinguish the fire
using a CO2 gaseous extinguisher, but this proved unsuccessful. “Aqueous
film-forming foam (AFFF) was then sprayed into the FES battery compartment and
the fire was extinguished.”
The pilot was the only person on board the glider, according to the AAIB.
He did not report observing any warning messages or illuminated LEDs, when
asked by the AAIB, although his attention was drawn outside the cockpit during
landing.
The AAIB report found existing FES battery installations ‘do not provide
sufficient warning’ to a pilot of a fire.
As a result, the AAIB made a safety recommendation that ‘all powered sailplanes
fitted with an FES system, must be equipped with a warning system to alert the
pilot to the presence of a fire in the FES battery compartment’.
The AAIB investigation confirmed the ‘origin of the fire’ was the forward FES
battery.
The report added: “Its battery box was ruptured along the rear left corner and
the battery assembly was heavily fire damaged.
“The rear FES battery box suffered from external fire damage although the
internal components were only slightly damaged and the cells remained charged.
“The FES battery compartment was heavily fire damaged.
see also
https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-special-bulletin-s3-2017-on-hph-glasflugel-304-es-g-gsgs
<https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-special-bulletin-s3-2017-on-hph-glasflugel-304-es-g-gsgs>
http://www.front-electric-sustainer.com/news.php
<http://www.front-electric-sustainer.com/news.php>
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20170906EASAAD20170167E.pdf
<http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20170906EASAAD20170167E.pdf>
--
Justin Couch http://www.vlc.com.au/
Java 3D Graphics Information http://www.j3d.org/
LinkedIn http://au.linkedin.com/in/justincouch/
G+ WetMorgoth
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